Of continuing concern today is untreated run off from streets, highways, parking lots, loading areas and the like, where leaked hydrocarbons, such as gasoline, diesel oils, lubricating oils, rubber and metal particles, and the like, as well as sediment, dirt and debris are accumulated and carried with surface waters into existing drainage systems. These contaminants are either carried by the drainage systems to treatment plants where their introduction increases the load on the plant's purification systems, or they are directly discharged to the environment, that is onto land or into streams, lakes and other bodies of water in an untreated state, such untreated water further stressing the environment.
Trench drains have historically been used to capture runoff from parking lots, gas stations, loading dock areas, and the like. These drains consist of elongate trenches with grates overtop. In areas such as gas stations and interior loading docks which are frequently cleaned by being hosed down, the wash waters carried to the trench drains are collected and discharged into pipes interconnected to a local drainage system, or simply discharged remote from the area being cleaned.
The need to perform a measure of primary treatment of the waste waters has been recognized for some time. Addressing this need, for example is a trench drain insert sold by KriStar Enterprises of Santa Rosa, Calif. A description of these trench drains can currently be found on the company web site at www.Kristar.com. The insert easily and economically converts a trench drain into an apparatus for absorbing petroleum hydrocarbons. The insert consists of an elongate cradle sized to attach to the side walls of the trench drain, and an elongate bag supported therein, which is made from polymeric mesh, and filled with an absorbent material, the product sold under the tradename Fossil Rock™. The absorbent material comprises either an amorphous alumina silicate or RUBBERIZER®, a hydrocarbon polymer based filter medium. This product is expensive to manufacture, however, due to the need to custom size the elongate cradle to the trench drain being fitted, and, due to the requirement it be non corrosive, the cradle is made from stainless steel. The sizing requirement can be particularly problematic where the trench to be fitted is both narrow and shallow, e.g. five inches wide by five to six inches deep, and must accommodate both the cradle, and filter bag, and still receive the cover grating. Furthermore, the FloGard™ (absorbent bag) inserts used with this product are currently provided in two foot sections, the use of such short sections increasing the time required for installation, and maintenance, especially given the extended lengths of some trench drains, which can be as long as 50 feet, or more.
Accordingly, the need exists for an easy to install, inexpensive, and effective apparatus to intercept and capture selected pollutants before they are discharged into runoff systems and released into larger bodies of water, the hydrocycle, or deposited on soils.
The foregoing prior art devices reflect the current state of the art of which the present inventor is aware. Reference to, and discussion of, these patents and/or prior art devices is intended to aid in discharging Applicant's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be relevant to the examination of prospective claims to the present invention. However, it is respectfully submitted that none of the above-indicated patents disclose, teach, suggest, show, or otherwise render obvious, either singly or when considered in combination, the invention described and claimed herein.